Bow and bow cover for vehicle tops



June` 12, 1923.

R. C. SCHEMMEL BOW AND BOW COVER FOR VEHICLE TOPS Filed Nov. 25. 1922 Summa@ Patented June 12, 1923.v

- UNifrEDfsT-Arsfs nomina." e. SCHH liriitaiiy for oiiroivf` oiTY,

iiriieiii mi1 e v 'NDIANLi l y l iNiirANgf-Assieiion To Ljrili'nf' .iiio'KsTAi LEATHERjCoMPaiaxonUNioiv QITY, INDIANA', A" CORBOBATIONQF v newL AND Bow COVERY 'nonv vEHioL Tops.

ApplicationledNovember 25, 1922. ASerial No. 603,379.

T0,alli/Lohman?'may conce/mi: y

' Be it known that I, Renn-RT C. SCHEMMEL,

a citizen of the United` States, residing at Union City, in the county of Randolph and 'State of Indiana, have invented certain 'new and useful Improvements in Bows and Bow. Covers orVehicle Tops; and I do" hereby declare the followingto bea 4full", clear, and exact description offthe invention, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to .which it a pertains to make and use the same.

'N yinvention 'relates l-toautomobile and othervehicle tops, butmor'e particularly to top-bows and covers yfor such bows .used in spreading'and supporting vehicle tops. It has long 'been 'customaryv to cover-these. wooden bows withfmaterial corresponding,

. or at least-'harmonizing with the interior trim of the vehicle, various-colors and grades of cloth being. employed for this purpose, asl

also leather and leather substitutes. Heretoforeit has also beenthefpractice eithertov` seam,` or.` to loverlapcovers upon thev outer surface of bowspand if merely overlapped, to secure the 'cover toits respective bow by: a line of tacks. l/Vhether seamed ortacked tothev outer-surface'of bows, however, an ob-v struction is thus formed and interposed in assembling, between these bows andthe top of the vehicle, which obstruction in time wears and disfigures 'thetop' dueto'con'tinuous'vibrations, yand particularly is this so when `tacks 'are employed aswtlie means :of securing bow coversvin position. 'i f As well understoodbyQ persons-skilledfinv the building' and -trimmingfiofi .vehicle tops, thevspreadingf-and supporting :bows are `ot varying cross sectional dimensionsand in addition the backbowsk are usuallvsome'-` what irregular in shape, but in allfevents thesebows taper towardeach"endwhere theyv are in practicesecurely su portedinthe customary upstandingvil metal ic tubular bow sockets.A

From time to time there have been time it is notfuncommon tofformbowcovers .f

from fabric, and. from imitation leather strips ycut upon the bias to facilitate "stretchf, ing vsame `over'th'e *varying shapes of topv bows, and'fto thereafter securey the.over lappedk edgesgof 4such 'stretched covers by` means ofI tacks, and sometimesby-stitohing;

I am not aware however, oitr a: singlein'- stance prior to my, lpresent invention, as

Ahereinafter "claimed, wherein "fbowlcover vhas been producedl comprisinganfenclosiiig tubular envelopev liavinginherent resiliency,- and a :primarily yuniform cross sectional diameter' not gieat'ervthan'that of the smallest portiono't vthe bowtobe covered, where# byfin assembling saidibow 'andvcoventhe latter may be ,ins tantly ld'iawn and stretched over the former, :thus autom atically adapt'y ing itself lto lvarying `dimensions or bow iry regularities, and 'assuming its lfinal opera-` tive* positionY upon 'the bow irrespective et, fastening 'means `other:thanits inherent elasticity, irrespective of ftheQinateria-lfem-L ployed lso long las it is sufficiently'stietchable and-possessesthe 'other characteristics 'aforeis seamed or seamless.' Y a .Y i p My .pre'sentiinvention hasfo'r an object to:v overcome vpractical object-ions to all ofthe forms of bow covers"aforesaid,vand to prof i said, and. regardless of whether the saidtube duce a novely and highly e'tlicient:cover-for4 the purposes stated, comprisingv av seamless..`

tubularlnitted structure whichv automati'cal?v lyadapts itself; t'o irregular '.configurations, andwliich can be instantly applied withoutthosef-iiiglierent iiithewcover itselfv'j i Y vMyxinvention yfurther lresides in thecon-fv ception of-tliisfidea of'means Aforneatly and?l quick-ly covering topsbows" with a; seamless! tubular-.knitted envelope, manufactured. in continuous lengthsand cutfinto-"se'ctions of suitable lengthfaswap'plied- The invention l,will be hereinafter par!L tioularlyv described, and* then `ipoin'tedout iny the lClaims following` 'i f AI-nftliev `accompanying drawings:whiclri iform part of this ,application Afor Lettersv Patent` and whereon corresponding numerals refer to like parts in the several views; y

Figure 1 represents lin perspective a por-V tion of a top bow for automobiles, beingin this instance the back bow, andrprovided' with'my improved form of bow cover eX- tending down to, and slightly beyond the" the :necessity 'of yfastening-- means other: than y point where received and supported in an ordinary bow socket (not shown) Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken through the bow and tubular bow cover on the line. 22 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is also a transverse sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure l; and

Figure 4e represents a short section of my tubular -bow cover in perspective.

Reference being had to the drawings and numerals thereon, indicates a top bow for use in spreading and supporting .automobile or other vehicle tops, in the ordinary manner. These bows are usually made of wood and have tapering ends G, received inthe usual metallic tubular supports or bow sockets rising from the body of the vehicle. rIlhey are also somewhat irregular in form being broadened and flattened at their upper intermediate portions 7 resulting in perceptible enlargements such as 8 at corre sponding points upon opposite sides of the bow, and are shouldered as at 9 to limit the downward thrust of taperino' ends 6 in the ordinary bow sockets (not siliown).

The numeral l0 indicates my improved form of elastic tubular, knitted envelope or cover, comprising a. multiplicity of interlocking loops or meshes, as best indicated by Figure et of the drawings. This article of manufacture is made in great lengths of any approved material, color or finish to harmonize with the interior of the vehicle top in which used, including imitation leather when desired, in which latter event a welt-cloth may be employed, which forms the subject-matter of a. separate application for Letters Patent, filed by me simultaneously herewith.

In applying bow covers, constructed and arranged in substantial accordance with my conception of this invention, the seamless, tubular and elastic cover l0, of a cross sectional area `not'greater than that of the smallest portion of a bow to be covered, is quickly drawn over such bow at onel end until it assumes substantially the position indicated by Figure l of 'the drawings, where it automatically accommodates itself to all irregularities, presenting at all points a snug and neat lit without the necessity of further fastening'` means, and absolutely without objectionable seams or lap joints. lhen so covered the bow 5 is introduced into the usual bow socket (not shown) which also housesfthe extreme ends of the cover 10 below shoulders 9, thereby contributing to a neatness of finish, and at-.the same time cushioning said bow.` in its supporting sockets.

From the foregoing it is believed thatvthe construction, operationl and adv'anta'gesof my'invention will be lreadily understood and appreciated by persons skilled in the artto which it relates, and it is apparent that various structural changes may be made and substituted for those shown and described without inthe least departing from the spirit of my invention vas expressed in the claims following.

Having thus described my invention what I now claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A bow cover for vehicle tops compris ing a tubular bow-enclosingenvelope made of elastic textile fabric adapted to. automatically conform to the varying transverse dimensions of thev bow covered.

2. A bow cover for vehicle tops comprising a seamless tubular bow-enclosing envelope made of elastic textile fabric adapted to automatically conform to the varying transverse dimensions of theV bow covered.

3. A. bow cover for vehicle tops comprising a seamlessv knitted bow-enclosing envelope adapted to automatically conform to the varying transverse dimensions of the bow covered. i A.

4. A bow for vehicle tops in combination with a tubular resilient bow-enclosing envelope of textile fabric, adapted to4 automatically conform to the varying transverse dimensions of said bow, and to be retained thereon in operative position by agency ofits inherent resilienc y 5. A. bow for vehicle tops in combination with a tubular enclosing yenvelope of textile fabric having inherent resiliency and a primarily uniform cross sectional diameter 4not greater than that of the smallest por- GLEN G. BARR, E. I. LIPP. n 

